The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1887-04-29
THE OLD SETTLER.
He Tells Peleg what the Wild
Waves Done"

"Grandpop," said little Peleg. as he
fingered a stii1-springed patent clothes
pin and cast glance Mt the old cat
that lay snoozing in the splint-bottom
rocking-chair; ''Grandpop, said he,
''what are the wild waves saying?"
The Old Settler looked up from the
pages of the local paper, in which he
was reading an account of hOg-guess-
ing match that had come off over at the
Corners. He scowled over his specta-
cles at Peleg, who fitted the clothespin
carefully on his nose and closed his
mouth to see how long he could his
breath.
Il haint heerd no wild waves yellin'
any thing very loud lately, ez L knows
on, said the Old Settler. (Which wild
waves is it th't-Mriar Whack that
young'un on the back or he Il bust ev'ry
durn gizzard he's gotr'
Peleg had hung on TO his breath un-
til his eyes began to bulge out and his
face was as red as his grandfather's
nose. He succumbed to the inevitable
before his grandmother could give him
the whack He opened his mouth and
started his lungs to working again, but
left the clothespin on his nose. His
grandfather glared at him for a moment
and then said:
(Which wild waves is it th't yer
speal1in' OFF"
''Theb that rips and roars arou'd
Conveys nud, replied Peleg, his utter
ance stopped by the pressure of the
clothespiu on his nose.
Tho ola >flnr. r.aanba1 fCr. hig aona
''Peleg!' exclaimed his grandmother,
''take that clothespin often yer nose!
We gimme cold in the head to hear
vel What was We meanin' ter say?'
Peleg removed the clothespin and re-
pcated his remark. ''Them that rips
and roars around Conveys Island; that:
what l said. What are they saying
grandpop?'
''Coney's Island!' exclaimed the Old
Settler ''W'at in Sam Hill do you
know bout Conveys Island, or bout
any wild waves ez mowt or ez mOwtn't
be a rippin' an a roarin'?''
''Tho new school ma am from town
boards to Bill Simmons $, replied Pc
leg, 'and t'other night she was telling
us about Conveys Island. She's been
there lots, and she told us that she
could set on the bank down there and
listen to what the wild waves was say
ing all day long. J. asked her what
they was saving, and she said: oh
much, little boyr She didn't say how
much or what it was, and asked Bill
Simmons if he llnowed, and he said he
did but wasn't giving it away. Go ASK
yer grandpop, Bill said. If he cam
tell you, says Bill, the worlds coming
TO an end That's how came to ash
you. Can't you tell me?'
Eyes, b'gosh. KIM" exclaimed the
Old Settler, shaking his fist in the
direction Of the Simmons homestead
Il kin tell We! Them wild waves is ;
sayin', an they're a yoopin' it out SOL
il kin be heard from Conveys Island Il
shutdown, th't the best thing you XIII
do is to keep shet o. that Bill Simmons
or THAI a single ont thar in the yarC
that'n make the properest kind of ;
paddle, an if that paddle is made an
used you'n hef ter stan up fer more 1
a week wen We eat yer slap-jacks an
'lassesl That's wat them wild wave
Is sayin', Peleg, an it's yer poor ole
gran'pop THIS tellin' We so, b'gosh, an
We won't listenr'
Peleg sat down by the side Of tn
splint-bottom rocking chair. He sal,
nothing. but thought to himself, as h
toyed with the clothespin, that if tn
wild waves had said all that to tn
schoolma' am, she must have been NOR
than pleased mt their remarks about tn
paddle and the slap-iacks. The OF,
Settler picked up his paper again
PeIeg's grandmother took her knitting
went off to the setting room, and hi
grandfather, after finishing the accoun
of the hog guessing stated tina
Pete Hellriggle had won the hogan,
remarking that if Pete didn't trade tn
hog of for barl o cider the winnin
of it d be q lucky thing fer his fam ly
ez they'd ben browsin' on sassyfraN al
winter, he turned to Peleg and said;
Eyes, my son, that's W at them vii,
waves is sayin', an ez yer gran MANN
hain't in hearin' TO get worried at on
talkin', I'll tell We wat some will
waves done to me wunst Them wave
didn't say nothin', but they jist got n
an done This happened Wen l wer
u boy, consid able many year age
'Twere on the ninth day of April, 1922
in the AFTERNOON. / were jist comm
seven year old. Their had ben a bi
rain fer two or three days, and know
th't Sloplick creek must be jist RICH
fer sucker fishin', an so 1 sneaked m
pap's chestnut pole an hosshair lin
outen the barn and cut crosslOts fe
the big bend o. the creek, witch wer
jist over raise O. ground from on
cabin in the clearin', mebby four or fiv
rod away, but ont o. sight, 'caus
't,yere in the gulley. twenty-five foo
lower'n the clearin An speakin' c
sucker fishin', sonny, yen see fore
git through with this leetle anecdot
tht III was suckers in the creeks j
them days. TIL haint none in 'er
now, but thur a many o. one outen tn
creeks, an big un's, too. Wall, we
come in sight % whar OF Sloplic
ortor been j;st more thin bilin', OWN
20 tle hard rains. | almos' tumble
back ia a fainun' tit Tn wa'n't ID